I’m not going to name a brand, but you’ve all seen the stuff. It’s soup base that comes in a little plastic tub. Tastes and feels like powdered broth mix with some kind of fat mixed in. This stuff is versatile. You can use it for soup, gravy, or added flavor in appropriate dishes. It also keeps forever and thus makes a good “out of food until payday” staple when added to other things you might have lying around.
Seriously, if you don’t already have some, run out and buy a tub or two. It’s like five bucks.
Here are a few things I’ve done with it when I was trying to stretch the food supply. Having lived in a trailer park in South Dakota, there were more times this was necessary than I really want to admit. Bear in mind I’m not even pretending any of these are very good for you, but they’ll keep you going if necessary. The instructions to make soup and gravy are right on the jar, and probably vary slightly by brand.
Buns and Gravy:
The town I lived in had a “bread shack,” a little shack attached to the back of the Police station. The local stores would drop their day-old bread there for anyone to take. It was common knowledge among everyone in town, and we all used it periodically; rural areas are no stranger to coming up short right before payday. There were a few times when my roommate and I were broke and that little shack helped take the edge off.
Get some dollar buns or other bread. Throw them on a plate or in a shallow dish, and pour some gravy over them. You could do the same with rice or noodles too. I’ve also used homemade bread instead of the free day-old stuff, and it tastes a bit better and has more substance.
Egg Drop Soup:
Boil up some chicken soup. While it’s heating up, beat an egg in a bowl. When the soup starts boiling, drizzle in the egg. This one costs about a dime per serving, and it’s delicious enough to make as a regular meal too. If you want to liven it up a bit, crushed red pepper flakes, sesame oil and chili oil all work nicely, and you can add veggies or tofu too.
Totally Not Name-Brand Rice And Noodle Stuff:
Break up some dry spaghetti or other pasta (macaroni, rings, or other smallish pasta would work right out of the box) and throw in a pot with some dry rice and butter. Fry them up until they turn golden brown. Add some strong soup and boil until all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender. If necessary, add more water and soup base.